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Consciousness may be inferred in others through observable behaviours such as facial expressions and vocalizations. However, such overt reporting has limitations, leading to research on physiological signals that disclose consciousness without relying on overt behaviour. In this Review, Kronemer, Bandettini and Gonzalez-Castillo explore such covert measures of consciousness in humans.
The visual systems of vertebrates and insects exhibit considerable similarities. In this Review, Tanaka and Portugues discuss these similarities, focusing primarily on recent works in larval zebrafish and fruitflies and expanding the scope of the comparison from past examinations of this area.
The brain’s high lipid content, iron levels and oxygen metabolism uniquely predispose it to ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death. In this Review, Lei et al. discuss brain-specific vulnerabilities and the physiological and pathological implications of neuroferroptosis.
Despite a global push to recognize Indigenous knowledge systems in research, neuroscience remains embedded in Euro-Western ways of means and methods. Authentic capacity-building will bring Indigenous ways of knowing and doing to the neuroscience workforce, to research and to training, and will lead to diversified and strengthened approaches to discovery and clinical care strategies.
The capacity to prevent unwanted thoughts is important for cognitive function and mental health. Anderson et al. describe insights into the neural mechanisms of the inhibitory control of thought that have been gained from studies of retrieval stopping and discuss how this knowledge informs our understanding of psychiatric disorders associated with intrusive thinking.
Mutations in the gene encoding the methyl-DNA-binding protein MECP2 cause Rett syndrome. Jaenisch and colleagues here provide an overview of our current understanding of the mechanisms by which MECP2 interacts with DNA and its diverse roles in gene regulation, and consider the implications of these insights for future therapeutic interventions.
A possible mechanism for the increased incidence of mood disorders in people with immune system disorders such as psoriasis is revealed where, in mice, elevated serum levels of the cytokines IL-17A and IL-17C induce anxiety-like symptoms via activation of neurons in the anterior basolateral amygdala.
The functional roles of the striatal indirect pathway remain unclear. In this Perspective, Lee and Sabatini propose that a three-factor learning rule governs the activity of indirect striatal projection neurons, contributing to the learnt avoidance of actions with negative outcomes and the transition to alternative actions.
Dynorphin regulates motivated behaviour in mice via κ-opioid receptor signalling in a nucleus accumbens–ventral pallidum (VP) disinhibitory circuit that increases activity of VP cholinergic neurons projecting to the basolateral amygdala.
Epilepsy is often associated with cognitive comorbidities that lack effective treatment options. In this Review, Gelinas and Khodagholy discuss how physiological neural networks involved in cognition are dysregulated in epilepsy and the therapeutic potential of network-level interventions.
Several space agencies are planning crewed, long-duration missions beyond low-Earth orbit, introducing various health risks and challenges to astronauts. In this Review, Durante and colleagues discuss the effects of two key stressors associated with space flight — microgravity and cosmic radiation — on the CNS.
In this Journal Club, Juan Gallego discusses a 2014 article that provided a first causal hint that neural manifolds may not only be a convenient way to interpret neural population activity.
Synchrony between neuronal activity and the respiratory cycle has been observed in numerous brain regions and across many species. Tort et al. discuss the mechanisms by which brain activity is modulated by breathing and describe the functional impact of this synchrony on perception and cognition.
A naturalistic threat–reward conflict reveals that dopamine dynamics in tail of the striatum in mice regulate not only avoidance of potential threats but also learning to overcome them.
Neuronal function depends upon the domain-specific localization of membrane ion channels. Tyagi et al. describe our current understanding of the mechanisms that regulate ion channel delivery to specific neuronal compartments, with a focus on the distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral sensory axons.
The hypothalamic preoptic area is involved in numerous homeostatic and social behaviours, and the neurons of this area are shown in this study to consist of numerous subtypes that show diverse maturational profiles that correlate with periods of substantial behavioural change such as weaning and puberty.
Neurodegenerative disorders are commonly associated with autonomic dysfunction as well as the more well-known cognitive and motor effects. In this Review, Mather describes how properties of neurons in the brain and periphery regulating autonomic activity render them more vulnerable to prion-like spread of pathological protein and subsequent neurodegeneration.
Neuropathic pain caused by nerve damage results in neuronal pathway changes and immune cell engagement. In this Review, Malcangio and Sideris-Lampretsas discuss how microglia respond to and modulate neuronal activity and suggest that microglia–neuron pathways offer novel approaches for the attenuation of neuropathic pain.
